1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to Automatic Call Distribution systems used in telephone call centers. More particularly, the present invention relates to improving the queue management and customer satisfaction in telephone call centers with Automatic Call Distribution systems.
2. Background of Related Art
Telephone call centers (or call centers) are networked groups of telephone operators or xe2x80x9cagentsxe2x80x9d that provide customer service for telephone callers. Call centers can be in many different forms, from large Operator Service Systems (OSSs) under the control of telephone companies to smaller private ones such as corporate customer service centers and telemarketing groups.
An important function of a call center is to provide efficient service to all customers, including timely and satisfactory handling of all received calls. Prior art automatic call distribution (ACD) systems are software-hardware hybrids for helping to efficiently switch incoming telephone calls to suitable and available operators.
Because of limited resources, such as the number of available agents, all customers may not be able to receive immediate customer service. Customers are placed xe2x80x9con holdxe2x80x9d in a queue while they await customer service.
Unacceptable hold times without service lead to wasted customer time, call hang-ups, and low customer satisfaction. What is sorely needed, but not addressed by prior art ACD systems is a flexible queue management system that allows a customer to maintain a queue position without having to remain on hold for marathon time periods, while not requiring an increase in call center resources.
In view of the above-identified problems and limitations of the prior art, the present invention provides a queue management method for the management of calls placed in the queue of an Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) system. The method at least includes the steps of assigning each telephone call received by the ACD system, a queue position corresponding to an order of calls to be serviced, receiving a first telephone call from a Calling Party, placing the Calling Party on hold, and providing the Calling Party with an opportunity to cause to be established in memory, a xe2x80x9cPriority Token,xe2x80x9d the Priority Token at least including calling party identity indicia, date and time indicia, and the Calling Party""s queue position.
The method also at least includes the steps of receiving a second telephone call from the Calling Party, checking the memory of the ACD system for a Priority Token corresponding to the Calling Party, and placing the second telephone call in the queue position established during the first telephone call according to the Priority Token.
The present invention also provides an ACD system at least including an ACD control unit adapted to control the overall operation of the ACD, receive telephone calls, and place calling parties on hold, a plurality of ACD position stations adapted to allow agents to service telephone calls via telephonic devices coupled thereto, and a queue manager adapted to assign each telephone call received by the ACD system, a queue position corresponding to an order of calls to be serviced.
The system also at least includes ACD memory, a Priority Token Generator adapted to generate, during a first telephone call from a Calling Party, a xe2x80x9cPriority Token,xe2x80x9d the Priority Token at least including calling party identity indicia, date and time indicia, and the Calling Party""s queue position. The ACD control unit is adapted to, during a second telephone call from the Calling Party, check the ACD memory for a Priority Token corresponding to the Calling Party, and place the second telephone call in the queue position established during the first telephone call according to the Priority Token.